Thread

1. jordand · 1790113347 · focus · HN ↗

   All these years later, Microsoft Access is still alive and kicking, and just three years ago, the 32bit version got Large Address Aware (LAA) support! Technically my very first software job was writing VBA in Microsoft Access for a few weeks and they're probably still running it (there's no drop in replacement for it or cheap way to migrate away)

   1. post-it · 1790113601 · focus · HN ↗

      Access is so good. I can't believe there's no universal equivalent for Linux and Mac. There are dozens of times when I've used a spreadsheet when a file-based database would have been better.

      1. flowerlad · 1790115122 · focus · HN ↗

         > Access is so good. I can't believe there's no universal equivalent for Linux and Mac.

         Here you go: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;visualdb.com" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;visualdb.com There are many modern alternatives, in fact.

         1. jordand · 1790115939 · focus · HN ↗

            I&#x27;ve looked into these before and they&#x27;re often a monthly&#x2F;annual SaaS that are either by a one-person company, or worse, something like AirTable that gets crazy price hikes out of nowhere (or shut down) that&#x27;s a disaster for a small company. Place I worked already had Microsoft Office paid for so why move away from Access.

            1. flowerlad · 1790116308 · focus · HN ↗

               If it works for you then there is no need to switch. But Access is a desktop app, and in 2026 it is pretty unusual to use a desktop app for business applications. Also, Microsoft is no longer developing Access.

               1. jordand · 1790116801 · focus · HN ↗

                  In 2026, Microsoft Access is still fully supported and bundled into Microsoft 365 Enterprise subscriptions. Back in 2014, I&#x27;d said to my employer that it&#x27;s not going anywhere for at least a decade (and that they can fully ignore a report they&#x27;d received from the NDPB that oversaw their work that suggested Access might be at risk of disappearing)

                  1. samplatt · 1790119936 · focus · HN ↗

                     &gt;In 2026, Microsoft Access is still fully supported and bundled into Microsoft 365 Enterprise subscriptions.

                     Having a subscription is only a small part of the total cost. Access works best when combined with a bunch of VBS&#x2F;macro scripts, which IT departments globally are trying very hard to stamp out completely. Access also needs its own set of permissions and manager of permissions since it can&#x27;t inherit permissions from anywhere of the other usual Microslop security stores - at least, not without having its own developer&#x2F;maintainer&#x2F;champion on tap.

                     Not to mention the agreed wisdom that while Access is fantastic for rapid-prototyping applications&#x2F;warehouses&#x2F;ETL processes, any &quot;permanent&quot; DB&#x2F;DBMS&#x2F;solution worth doing in Access is worth doing in a &#x27;proper&#x27; database with a proper front-end.

                     1. jordand · 1790121175 · focus · HN ↗

                        All true and yeah, I did discuss with my employer at the time about how they needed to think long term about migrating to SQL Server or MySQL&#x2F;PostgreSQL with a web front-end. However, the giant IT contractor they were stuck with would only allow SQL Server and charge a fortune, and they didn&#x27;t have the time&#x2F;money&#x2F;know-how to go anywhere with that. They were stuck with Access!

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